selitystä

Selitystä is the partitive singular form of the Finnish noun selitys, meaning explanation, account, or justification. It refers to the act of explaining or the explanation itself—clarifying facts, reasons, or meanings. The term is common in education, journalism, and everyday speech, where someone provides selitys for a claim, an event, or behavior.

Grammatically, selitys is a noun formed with the abstract-noun suffix -itys. The base form is selitys; the partitive singular is selitystä, the genitive singular is selityksen, and the plural is selitykset. It is used with verbs that require a partitive object, for example: Tarvitsen selityksen tälle tapahtumalle (I need an explanation for this event).

Etymology and related forms: selitys derives from the verb selittää, meaning to explain. The -itys suffix creates a noun describing the act or result of the verb. Related forms include selittäminen (the act of explaining), selitetty (explained), and selvittää (to clarify or investigate). Distinctions with related terms are common in Finnish; for example, selvitys often refers to a clarification or a formal report, such as an investigation, rather than a casual explanation.

Usage notes: selitys emphasizes what is explained—the content or reasoning—rather than serving as a defense. For explicit justification or defense, words such as peruste or perustelu may be used. In everyday language, selitys can range from a simple clarification to a more detailed account of why something happened.